Automatic inkstand.



PATENTED SEPT. 2'7, 1904.

H. M. STURGIS.

AUTOMATIC INKSTAND.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 8, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

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No. 770,876; PATENTED SEPT. 27, 1904.

M. STURGIS. AUTOMATIC INKSTAND.

APPLICATION FILED D120. s, 1903;

NO MODEL. 2 SHEETS-811E312 Patented September 27, 1904.

PATENT riucn.

HERBERT M. STURGIS, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

AUTOMATIC INKSTAND.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 770,876, dated September 27, 1904. Application filed December 8, 19.03. Serial No. 184,365- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HERBERT M. STUReIs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, Jackson county, State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful'Improvements in Automatic Inkstands, of which the following is a specification containing a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention relates to automatic inkstands; and it consists of the novel features herein shown, described, and claimed.

My object is to construct an inkstand having a large air-tight ink-receptacle, a small pen-inking well with means of automatically feeding the ink from the receptacle to the well and regulating the depth of ink in the Well, said well being removably mounted in the filling-opening of the receptacle, to add a dust-proof cap and a pen-rack, mount the receptacle upon a suitable base, and make the whole substantial and attractive and at the same time simple and inexpensive.

My improved inkstand comprises an inclined base, an ink-receptacle removably mounted upon the base in an inclined position, there being an opening in the lower end of the top of the receptacle, a pen-inking well forming a removable and air-tight fit in said opening, there being passages in said well communicating with said ink-receptacle, so as to keep the well automatically filled with ink to the desired level, a cap attached to said well to close the well and to serve as a handle .to manipulate the well, a pen-rack, and a clamp extending from the pen-rack to hold the penrack upon the ink-receptacle and hold the inkreceptacle in place upon the base.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective of my improved inkstand. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the complete inkstand. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the pen-rack and retaining-clamp. Fig. 4 is a top plan of the base which supports the ink-well cap. Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the ink-well and cap with the cap elevated. Fig. 6 is an elevation of the ink-well.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the base comprises the inclined base-plate 7, having the opening 8 at its lower end, forming the retaining-lip 9, the supporting-wall 10, holding the base-plate in its inclined position, and the retaining-flange 11, extending above the baseplate, all formed integral of glass or iron or any suitable material.

The ink-receptacle comprises the bottom 12, adapted to fit within the flange 11 upon the base-plate 7, the retaining-toe 13, extending from the bottom 12 into the opening 8 and hooking under the lip 9, the wall 14, extending upwardly from the bottom 12, the top 15, covering the space inclosed by the wall and having the finished filling-opening 16 at its lower end and having the circular elevation 17 at its center, all formed of glass, metal, or other suitable substance.

The pen-inking well comprises the bottom 18, having the ink-passage 19, the cylindrical tapered and hollow wall 20, extending upwardly from the bottom and having the airpassage 21 and having the parallel recesses 22 and 23 at its upper end, and the annular flange 24, extending outwardly at the upper end of the wall, all formed integral of-hard rubber, glass, or other suitable material. The wall 20 is tapered and finished to form an airtight fit in the filling-opening 16, and the airpassage 21 is below the top 15 and registers with the recess 25 under the elevation 17.

The ink-well cap comprises the base 26, having the parallel edges 27 and 28 to form a spanner to enter the recesses 22 and 23 of the ink-well, the hinge-arms 29 and 30, extending backwardly from the base; the ears 31 and 32, bent upwardly from said arms; the springarm 33, extending backwardly between the hinge-arms; the springs 34 and 35, extending from the spring arm and bent upwardly against the ears, respectively; the hinge-plate 36, the ears 37 and 38, extending from the hinge-plate; the hinge-pin 39, connecting the ears 31 and 32 to the ears 37 and 38; the disk 40, secured to the hinge-plate by the rivet 41, the rim 42 on the disk, and the soft-rubber gasket 43 within the rim. The parts are arranged so that when the hinge of the cap is at the top the air-passage 21 is on the back side and at its highest point. The height of this passage controls the depth of ink in the well, and by rotating the well to lower this passage the amount of ink in the Well may be reduced or regulated. The cap serves as a handle for manipulating the well, as well as for a dustand vapor proof cover for the well. The ears 37 and 38 are squared and engage the springs 34 and 35 as required to cause the cap to open or close with a snap and as required to hold the cap open or closed.

The receptacle is removed from the base and placed in a horizontal position, the ink well is removed, then the receptacle is filled with ink, the ink-well carefully replaced, giving time for the ink to run into the ink-well through the air and ink passages, and, finally, the receptacle is replaced upon the base. As the ink is used out of the well air passes through the air-passage and-allows more ink to run into the well, the bulk of the ink being on a higher level than the well. When the cap is closed, it is impossible to spill the ink, and when the cap is open only the amount contained in the well can be spilled. If desired, the receptacle may be filled without removing from the base and without removing the ink-well.

The pen-rack and clamp comprise the rackplate 44:,having an opening to receive the elevation 17, the rack-fingers a5 and 46, extending upwardly from opposite sides of the rackplate, said fingers being in horizontal pairs to receive pens, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, and the spring clamp-plate &7, extending down behind the ink-receptacle and under the base-plate, so as to hold the ink-receptacle to thebase. The rack-plate snaps over the elevation 17. It is obvious that the clamp must be removed before the receptacle can be removed.

' Thus it will be seen that by the principles of my invention I have constructed an inkstand holding a large amount of ink without danger of spilling or evaporation, that the ink-well is kept automatically filled to the desired extent, that while all the parts are securely held together they are readily separable, that the depth of ink in the well may readily be regulated, and that the whole is neat, simple, durable, and inexpensive.

I claim a 1. In an inkstand, an inclined base; an inkreceptacle removably mounted upon the base and having an opening communicating with its lower part; an ink-well forming a removable and air-tight fit in said opening, there being an ink-passage and an air-passage in said inkwell communicating with the receptacle, so as to feed ink automatically to the ink-well; and an air-tight cap for closing said well, said cap also serving as a handle for manipulating the well, substantially as specified.

2. In an inkstand, an ink-receptacle; an ink-well removably and rotatably mounted in said ink-receptacle, and adapted to be automatically fed; and a cap for closing said inkwell; said ink-well having spanner-recesses; and said cap comprising a spanner to engage in said recesses, a disk hinged to said spanner with a snap motion and a rubber gasket on said disk; said cap also serving as a handle for said ink-well, substantially as specified.

3. In an inkstand, an inclined base; an inkreceptacle removably mounted upon the base in an inclined position, there being an opening in the lower end of the top of the receptacle; a pen-inking well forming a removable and air-tight fit in said opening, there being passages in said well communicating with said ink-receptacle, so as to keep the well automatically filled with ink to the desired level; a cap attached to said well to close the well and to serve as a handle to manipulate the well; a pen-rack; and a clamp extending from the pen-rack to hold the pen-rack upon the ink-receptacle, and hold the ink-receptacle in place upon the base, substantially as specified.

a. In an inkstand an inclined base-plate having an opening in its lower end forming a retaining-lip, a supporting-Wall holding the base-plate in its inclined position, an ink-receptacle adapted to fit upon the base-plate and having a retainingtoe extending into the opening of the base-plate, and engaging the lip, and means for holding said ink-receptacle in place, substantially as specified.

5. In an inkstand,an inclined base-plate having an opening in its lower end forming a retaining-lip, a supporting-wall holding the base-plate in its inclined position, a retainingfiange extending above the base-plate, an inkreceptacle mounted upon the baseplate within the flange and having a retaining-toe engaging the lip of the base-plate, and a springclamp holding the ink-receptacle in position upon the base, substantially as specified.

6. In an inkstand, an inclined base-plate having an opening at its lower end forming a retaining-lip, an ink-receptacle mounted upon the base and having a retaining-toe engaging the retaining-lip of the base, there being an elevation on top of the ink-receptacle, a plate having an opening to receive said elevation, and a spring clamp-plate extending from the first-mentioned plate down behind the inkreceptacle and under the base-plate to hold the inkreceptacle in place, substantially as specified.

7. In an inkstand, an inclined base-plate, an ink-receptacle mounted upon the base-plate and having an elevation on its upper face, a rack-plate having an opening to receive said elevation, rack-fingers extending upwardly from opposite sides of the rack-plate, and a spring clamp-plate extending down behind the ink-receptacle and under the base-plate to hold the ink-receptacle in place, substantially as specified.

8. In an inkstand, an ink-receptacle mounted in an inclined position and having an opening, an ink-well mounted in said opening, a

cap for said ink-well, said cap comprising a base having parallel inner edges to form a spanner to engage the ink-well, hinge-arms extending backwardly from the base, ears bent upwardly from said arms, a spring-arm extending backwardly between the hingearms, springs extending from the spring-arm and bent upwardly against the ears, a hingeplate, ears extending from the hinge-plate, a pin connecting the hinge-ears to the base-ears, a disk secured to the hinge-plate, a rim extending from the disk, and a soft-rubber gasket in the rim to-engage and close the ink- Well, substantially as specified. 

